Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1887-01-21
THE BASILISK.
A STORY OF TO-DAY.
CHAPTER XVIII,

Mary had struck HIM to the ground.
It was equally evident that he bore her
no sort of ill-will for the blow. This
absence of petty resentment was not at
all reassuring to me. II was rather
terrible. There was in it sort of
calm determination. He had marked
the quarry for his own, and was rather
inclined to admire her for showing
fight than to be angry with her for re-
sisting him.
My own chief object now must be, l
saw, in all things to avoid suspicion, and
at the first opportunity to open COM
munications with Mary Fortescue.
Luckily, l was in possession of the
secret of the approach to the concealed
entrance. The fact that there was
means of exit by way of the back stair
case, showed that the other way was
designed for facilities of flight or con-
ccalment, rather than that, as I first
imagined, the rooms themselves were
hidden. Still, there was sufficient
cause for alarm in the fact that they
had obviously wished to deceive me as
to Mary's movements, presumably
from suspicion that was
prepared to take her part as far as I
could. That they should deliberately
state that she had set out for Pyrmont
at the very time that she was kept out
of the way in their own house, and
subject to the odious attentions of one
for whom she expressed a perfect alb
horrence, was enough to determine me
to use every effort to counteract
their designs.
AS we sat at dinner, and observed
the strange expression of puzzled
amusement on Plowitz's face, and the
mark on temple and cheek which re-
suited from his fall-for it was the
accident of hitting his head againstthe
wall rather than the direct violence of
hey blow which had reduced him t.
|. temporary insensibility longed to
tell him of what knew, and to have it
out with him, man to man. But this
was q qualification which must be de-
ferred.
II do hope Mary will have good
passage" said Miss Beaufoy, when we
were seated at dinner. "She is such
bad sailor"
'It is a very calm night,' said Mr..
Beaufoy, "and the E lass has been
standing high for some days now:
"They are very good boats said
Plowitz, joining in the little concert OF
mendacity. "And it is apcrfectly COM
Portable passage from Harwich.'
felt quite delighted at the sense OF
hidden power which I possessed not
only in being able to study their e2-
prcssions, but to have discovered by
accident their falsehood, and the where
abouts of their quasi-captive.
After dinner Miss Bcaufoy invited
me to play Cor her in the drawing-room.
l turned the conversation again to
the subject which WAS uppermost in my
thoughts.
II fear Miss Fortescuo will find it
dull being away among strangers? l
began.
"They are not strangers to her; and,
at any rate, they are the relations OF
her affianced husbands
"Are you sure that this is match
which will make her happyp' asked.
The Basilisk laughed at me, very
unusual course, with one of her calm
and dignifed manner.
"Why shouldn't it?" she asked.
Il mean, do you think she really
wishes to marry Dr. Plowitz?'
1.-THE best answer to that is she re-
piled rather icily, 'Why should she
consent, otherwise?'
"She gave me the impression OF be-
ing subduod, and very easily influenced
by pressure, especially by unkindness. y
II don't think you are much of a
Judge of character, Mr.. Coplestone.
Mary has q very strong will Of her
own" Here she laughed, as if in
affeotionate remembrance of little pas
sages of arms, in which she had not
come off victorious. "And DR.. Plowitz
is not at all likely to be unkind to her,
or to anyone. He has given evidence
of wonderful self-control and good
nature only to-day"
"Pardon my asking it, but do you
think, for instance, that this journey to
Germany was quite to her taste?'
do you know, Mr.. Coplestone, that
this sounds rather as if a stranger were
,nter1eringin family affairs, and talking
about what he cannot possibly under
| standp'
"Not at all, H==,ieve me. l naturally
take an Interest," great interest-in
| Miss Fortescue. But not seldom a
stranger observes things that nearer
relations overlook, and you must re-
member that I have had good oppor-
tunities of learning something of her
character and tastes"
"And you must remember that Miss
Fortescue is engaged to our friend, DR..
Plowitz; that she is my cousin and old
| est friend, and that you have got some